Impulse-starter for magnetos.



P. OSTENBERG.

IMPULSE STARTER FOR MAGNETOS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 1917.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

FIGURE. 4-

W ATT RN PON'I'US OSTENBERG, OF LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA.

IMPULSE-STARTER FOR MAGNETOS.

Application filed October 25, 1917. Serial No. 198,503.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PONTUS OSTENBERG, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Los Gatos, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Impulse-Starters for Magnetos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to impulse starters or spark intensifiers for magnetos in which the intensifying or interrupting detents or pawls are thrown into or out of action automatically according to the speed of the armature and driving shafts in connection with which it is used, a particular feature of said detents being that they always move inwardly toward the axis of said shafts when they move into an operative position.

One object of the present invention is to produce an intensifier for magnetos which will successfully cause a succession of hot sparks or kick-01f sparks in the engine cylinders when the engine is started, again automatically assuming an operative position as the engine slows down to a stop. Another object is to produce an intensifier operated by the centrifugal force manifested by the revolving shafts and parts connected thereto, thereby simplifying the construction of the device and rendering it economical to manufacture, easy of installation, and greatly reducing the number of wearing parts and consequently rendering the device more durable than those forms commonly used. Another object is to produce a device of the character indicated in which the detents may be automatically actuated to an operative position by gravity or other means and centrifugally actuated to aninoperative position.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the new and novel construction, formation, provision, combination and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings .Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved impulse starter in operative relation to a magneto, part of the magneto being in section and part being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line AA of Fig. 1, part being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another em- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

bodiment of my invention the magneto and its flange being in section.

F1 4 is a sectional view on line B-B of Flg. 8, part being broken away.

F g. 5 is a side elevation of another embodlment of my invention the magneto and 1ts flange being in section.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line CC of Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

At 1 is shown a portion of a magneto having a flange 2 to inclose the working parts of my device, the driven armature shaft being shown at 3 and a stop mounted on said magneto adjacent shaft 3 being shown at 4. To armature shaft 3 is secured plate 5 carrying hub 6. The driving shaft has a plate 8 carrying hub 9 secured thereto and positioned in substantially parallel relation to plate 5. A spring 10 encompasses hubs 6 and 9 and has its two ends secured to plates 5 and.6 respectively. In the present instance plate 5 is of smaller circumference than plate 8 and is provided with two diametrically opposite lugs 11 and 12 projecting from its perimeter and lying in the plane of plate 5. Plate 8 is also provided with two diametrically opposite lugs as 13 and 14, but these lugs are substantially perpendicular to the plane of plate 8 and project inwardly from its outer edge and are normally held in engagement with lugs 11 and 12 on plate 5 by said spring 10. Lugs 13 and 14 project a distance beyond plate 5 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. At a point near the outer circumference of plate 5, and on the surface of plate 5 facing magneto 1, is a pivot 15 carrying a detent 16. Detent 16 is curved substantially as shown and is provided with a head 17 forming an offset 18 adapted to engage a stop 4 when said head 17 drops inwardly. The tripping end 19 of detent 16 is so formed and proportioned as to lie in the path of travel of lug 13 when head 17 drops inwardly.

In operation, when driving shaft 7 is re volved slowly armature shaft 3 and the parts connected thereto are also caused to slowly revolve through the medium of a spring 10. This device is designed to operate with shafts 3 and 7 in a horizontal position. therefore when plate 5 is revolved so far that pivot 15 approaches and passes the highest point in its circuit the force of gravity causes head 17 to fall downward so that ofiset 18 engages stop 4 and tripping end 19 is thrown outwardly into the path of travel of lug 13, as indicated in dotted lines at 20. When detent 16 engages stop 4 as described the movement of plate 5 (to which it is attached) is arrested. The continued movement of shaft 7, with plate 8 and lugs 13 and 14, winds up spring 10 andcarries lug 13 around in the direction indicated by the arrow until it engages tripping end 19 of detent 16 thereby disengaging head 17 from stop 4. When detent 16 is released the increased tension of spring 10 throws plate 5 and armature shaft 3 suddenly forward at high speed until lugs 11 and 12 again engage lugs 13 and 14, thereby causing the hot spark desired. When, however, the englne is started and shafts 3 and 7 and parts eonnect-ed thereto are rapidly revolved the centrifugal force operates to throw head 17 of detent 16 outwardly with the result that the device is automatically rendered inoperative at all times when the said shafts are revolving at high speed, but automatically becomes operative when the engine slows down to a stop and the centrifugal force acting upon it becomes negligible.

It is apparent of course that if it is desired to use the device in a vertical position a light spring as 21 may be secured to plate 5 in an operative position against detent 16 so that the same may be forced into an operative position whenever the centrifugal force diminishes sufliciently to permit spring 21 to act. Also additional stops may be used for multi-cylindered engines, as indicated at 4*, operating in connection with a single detent.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the stop 4 is secured to the flange 2 of magneto 1, and armature shaft 3 carries an H shaped member 22. Between each pair of arms of member 22 is a detent 23 pivoted as at 24 near shaft 3. To plate 8 are secured a long stop-peg 25 and, diametrically opposite to peg 25, a short tripping-peg 26, the latter having a beveled end as 27.

' When detents 23 are to be gravity actuated to an operative position the devlce is positioned vertically as shown in Fig. 3. In operation member 22 is normally in contact with stopping-peg 25. As shaft 7 and parts connected thereto is revolved slowly detents 23 assume the position indicated in dotted lines at 28, consequently one of them comes in contact with stop 4 thereby arresting the movement of shaft 3 and parts connected thereto. As shaft 7 continues to .revolve it brings the beveled end 27 of peg 26 in contact with the detent 23 in position 28 and forces the same upwardly and out of engagement with stop 4, whereupon spring 10 throws member 22 suddenly forward until the same is stopped by stop-peg 25 which has advanced through a distance equal to that traveled by tripping-peg 26. When the -device is rotated at high speed the centrifugal force operates to maintain detents 23 in a substantially horizontal position, in which position they are, of course, inoperative.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the device is shown in a vertical position but the parts. are reversed with reference to their position in Figs. 3 and 4. In this embodiment shaft 3 also carries an H shaped member 22 having detents 23 pivoted at 24 between its respective pairs of arms, the stop 4 being positioned on magneto 1 near shaft 3 as in F igs. 1 and 2, and detents 23 having beveled upper ends as29. In this embodiment detents 23 normally hang in a vertical position so that one of them will engage stop 4 when the device is operated slowly. Member 22 is held normally in contact with stop 30 by spring 10, stop-peg 30 being secured to plate 8. lVhen shaft 3 and parts connected thereto are held inoperative by detent 23 in engagement with stop 4 the continued revolution of shaft 7 and plate 8 causes short trippingpeg 31, attached to plate 8, to contact with beveled end 29 of detent 23 thereby forcing the said detent 23 out of engagement with stop 4, whereupon shaft 3 and the parts connected thereto are thrown suddenly forward until stopped by stopping-peg 30 which has advanced through the same distance traveled by tripping-peg 31.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the parts are shown at the moment of engagement of member 22 with. stop 4. In Figs. 5 and 6' the parts are shown at the moment when trippingpeg 3 is about to operate detent 23, stoppeg 30 having advanced a distance. The dotted lines at 32 indicating the normal position of member 22 with relation to stoppeg 30. In these latter figures a double detent and tripping-mechanism is shown. At 33 in Fig. 5 one detent is shown with an outwardly and downwardly projecting arm, indicating that the said detent may be so formed as to be more eflectively operated by centrifugal force if so desired, the action of the centrifugal force operating to raise arm 33 and thereby assist in moving the lower end of the detent outwardly. In this embodiment, as in the others. when the members are rotated at high speed the centrifugal force operates to maintain the detents in an inoperative position, the same automatically dropping back into an operative position as the rotating parts- SlOW down to a stop. It is also pointed out that one feature common to all of the embodiments is that the detent always moves inwardly toward the axle of the shafts 3 and 7 to engage stop 4 and thereby becomes operative, and away from said axis to become inoper- 'ative, the movement in each direction being entirely automatic.

I claim:

1. The combination with a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and a driving member yieldingly connected thereto, of a stop positioned adjacent said members and a detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member gravity actuated toward the axis ofsaid members and into engagement with said stop when said members are slowly revolved and centrifugally actuated to an inoperative position when said members are rotated at high! speed.

The combination with a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and a driving member yieldingly connected thereto, of a stop positioned adjacent said members and a detentpivotally mounted on said first mentioned member, means for automatically moving said *detent inwardly toward the axis of said members and into engagement with said stop when said members are slowly revolved, and means for automatically maintaining said detent in an inoperative position when said members are rotated at high speed.

3. The combination with a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and a driving member yieldingly connected thereto, of a stop positioned adj acent said members and a detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member, means-for automatically moving said detent inwardly toward the aXis of said members and into engagement with said stop when said members are slowly revolved, and centrifugally operated means for automatically maintaining said detent in an inoperative position when said members are rotated at high speed.

4. The combination with a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and a driving member yieldingly connected thereto, of a stop positioned adjacent said members, a detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member and provided with a stop engaging end and a tripping end, means for automatically moving said stop engaging end inwardly toward the axis of said members and into an operative position with relation to said sto when said members are slowly revolvedi means carried by said second mentioned member adapted to engage the tripping end of said detent at a predetermined interval thereby removing said detent from engagement with said stop, and means for automatically maintaining said detent in an inoperative position with relation to said stop when said members are rotated at high speed.

5. The combination with a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and a driving member yieldingl connected thereto, ofa stop positioned a jacent said members and detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member, means for neto and a driving member yieldingly connected thereto, of a stop positioned adjacent said members and a detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member, means for automatically moving said detent inwardly toward the axis of said members and into engagement with said stop when said members are slowly revolved thereby arresting the movement of said first mentioned member, means carried by said second mentioned member for disengaging said detent from said stop after a predetermined interval, means for limitin the forward movement of said first mentioned member with relation to said second mentioned member when said detent is disengaged from said stop, and centrifugally operated means for maintaining said detent in an inoperative position when said members are rotated at high speed.

7. The combination with a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and having a driving member yieldingl connected thereto, of a stofi mounted on said magneto adjacent sai members and said armature shaft, and a detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member and having a stop engaging head and a tripping end, said head being gravity actuated toward said armature shaft and into engagement with said stop when said members are slowly revolved, means carried by said second mentioned member for engaging said tripping end of said detent when said members are slowly revolved thereby disengaging said head from said stop, and means for maintaining said detent in an inoperative position when said members are rotated at high speed.

8. The combination of a driven member mounted on the armature shaft of a magneto and having a lug projecting radially therefrom, a driving member yieldingly connected thereto and having a lug projecting therefrom and normally engaging said first mentioned lug, a stop positioned adjacent said members and said shaft, a detent pivotally mounted on said first mentioned member, means for automatically mmring said detent inwardly toward said shaft and into then When said members are rotated at high engagement with said stop when said memspeed. bers are slowly revolved, means for disen- In testimony whereof I have l'lQl'OUlltO af- 1 gaging said detent from said stop at prefixed my signature this 18th day of ()embor,

5 determined intervals when said members 1917.

are slowly revolved, and means for maintaining said detent in an inoperative posi- PONTUS OSTEN BERG. 

